Democratic Party Agrees to Schedule More Debates

Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton take part in the first presidential debate at Wynn Las Vegas on October 13, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photograph by Joe Raedle—Getty Images

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced Wednesday that the Democratic National Committee has sanctioned four more debates following complaints from the Democratic candidates.

The first debate added is an MSNBC debate on the campus of the University of New Hampshire on Feb. 4th. That debate was previously unsanctioned by the party, but the Clinton and Sanders campaigns said they would participate in hopes of getting a chance to debate before the upcoming New Hampshire primary.

DNC chair Wasserman Schultz said that four debates were added in total—the New Hampshire debate, a March debate in Flint, Mich. and the two remaining debates in April and May.

“Our debates have set viewership records because of our candidates’ ideas, energy, and the strength of their vision to build on the progress we’ve made over the last seven years,” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing them continuing to share Democrats’ vision for the country.”

The New Hampshire debate will be followed by the state’s primary on Feb. 9th. While Clinton took a narrow victory in Iowa, Sanders holds a substantial lead in New Hampshire, according to a polling average by RealClearPolitics.